Live albums recorded at San Francisco's Fillmore were a rock staple of the late 1960s, and now Cypress Hill are staking out hip-hop's spot in the tradition, recording their first live album there Tuesday (Aug. 15).

The group, which just completed a Napster-sponsored tour with rockers Limp Bizkit, will record and shoot its performance for an untitled live album, as well as an unscheduled DVD and video release that will include concert footage, music videos and a documentary about the group, according to Cypress Hill's label.

The album, tentatively scheduled for a Dec. 12 release, also will include new studio tracks.

The group is riding high on the success of its April release, the double-disc set Skull & Bones, which includes the song "(Rap) Superstar" (RealAudio excerpt). The album, which has gone platinum, debuted at #4 on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. It's currently at #63.

The album features typically smoked-out jams from DJ Muggs, Sen Dog and B-Real. It also includes appearances by Eminem, Everlast and Noreaga.

Live rap albums are a rarity. KRS-One's Live, Hardcore and Worldwide (1991) and the Roots' The Roots Come Alive (1999) are two notable exceptions.

"A lot of hip-hop acts have a hard time re-creating their sound live," said Craig Werner, who has taught classes on hip-hop at the University of Wisconsin-Madison since 1986. "The concerts are often more about the call-and-response between the artist and the fans than about faithfully reproducing the sonic collage that's on the albums."

After the Fillmore show, Cypress Hill are off to Europe for a series of concerts.